


Love Language

by BrassOctopi



Series: love like an ocean (beautiful and terrifying) [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Fluff, Human Prince Sidon, M/M, Mute Link (Legend of Zelda), Sign Language, mentions of dead characters, merman link
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-06 22:27:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19071934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrassOctopi/pseuds/BrassOctopi
Summary: Sidon can't fully understand his merman, yet. He takes steps to rectify the situation.





	Love Language

**Author's Note:**

> Who knew that these nerds in love would be what finally got me writing fic again? More merman!Link/human!Sidon. A big thanks to everyone who left kudos and bookmarks, and special thanks to the people who left comments on Siren Song. It really helped my self-confidence!
> 
> Hand signs are written in italics.

Sidon found himself outside the royal library one afternoon, fidgeting with his hands. Before he could lose his nerve, he plastered a confident smile on his face and walked inside, back straight as though nothing in the world could ruffle him. The handful of scholars in sight greeted him with all the obeisance due his rank, but he waved it off, unwilling to run through all the motions when he had something else on his mind. He strode over to one of the scholars, a man he’d remembered as old even when Sidon was just a child.

 

“Tepem, may I speak with you a moment?”

 

The man blinked behind his glasses, seemingly taken aback. Sidon couldn’t say he blamed him - while he dutifully went through his studies, it wasn’t as if Sidon had been a fantastic student. He always spent more time at the training grounds, dreaming of high adventure on the open seas rather than old scrolls and books. Still, Tepem smiled at him, nodding once. “Of course, your highness.”

 

Sidon beamed back at him. “If someone were unable to speak, and couldn’t write, what options might they have for communication?”

 

Tepem adjusted his glasses. “Well, I would say Subaqueous Sign Language would do, your highness.”

 

“Subaqueous…?” Sidon’s eyes went wide, fingers flexing as he tried to control his excitement.

 

“Yes, your highness. The signs were first developed for explorers of the coastlines and seas surrounding the domain, for communication underwater. A good number of people now use it on land as well, when they either will not or cannot speak.”

 

“Excellent!” Sidon grabbed the man’s hands, unable to help himself. The scholar pulled back slightly, but let the prince do as he pleased with a bemused smile. “Can you teach me, Tepem?”

 

“Ah, not I, I’m afraid. I only know the very basics myself.” Before Sidon’s smile could fully fade, Tepem hurried to add, “but there is a woman who works in the scriptorium who knows it well. Her daughter is unable to speak, as you suggested, and communicates almost entirely through sign.”

 

“Can you have her brought to me, as soon as possible?”

 

“Indeed, your highness. Would you like to wait here, or…?”

 

Sidon waved a hand. “My chambers, Tepem. I’d rather not humiliate myself in front of all these fine scholars.” He grinned, gesturing to the others, some of whom hid smiles behind their hands.

 

“Never, your highness,” Tepem agreed, but Sidon could hear the laughter in his voice.

 

* * *

 

 

“Why is it that you wanted to learn sign, your highness?”

 

Sidon looked at his new teacher, startled. Hamara was a sweet old woman with a warm voice, the very image of maternal care. Something in the back of his mind whispered that he knew that sort of care, once, but his own mother had died long before even Mipha. He’d quickly shed decorum with her, as he tended to do with any of the staff that he interacted with for long. Instead, he took to the lessons with a vigor that he had lacked in any other subject, determined to be able to understand Link the next time they met. He should have figured that someone, if not Hamara herself, would have noticed the difference.

 

Sidon shook his head, waving a hand with forced airiness. “Well, as you said, your daughter primarily uses this to communicate, yes? And she’s certainly not the only one. A good ruler ought to be able to converse with all of their subjects, I would think.”

 

Hamara watched him, dark brown eyes shrewd, and he got the uncomfortable feeling that she could see into his soul. “A wise thought indeed, your highness. Surely you could simply use a translator, though.”

 

“A translator can be imprecise. Their agenda may be different than the original speaker’s.” Sidon leaned his elbow on the table, resting his chin on his hand as he thought. He wasn’t even thinking of Link, now, but all the language lessons that had been drilled into his head as a child. He had been fascinated to find translators moving words and phrases around from the way he learned them and heard them from native speakers, visitors to the royal court. As he grew, it made him more uncomfortable, noticing that some changed the meaning, making the visitors seem either more or less sympathetic than Sidon found their original statements. He’d decided at that point to learn as many languages as he could, at least their basics, rather than rely on others. “I would like to hear from the source as often as possible, to form my own conclusions.”

 

Hamara nodded, continuing to watch him in silence for a long moment. Just when Sidon was about to open his mouth again to ask if something was wrong, a sad smile came onto the old woman’s face. “Your mother would have been very proud of you, my prince.”

 

Sidon jolted forward, nearly falling out of his chair. “You knew my mother?”

 

“Oh yes, your highness. A sweet, kind woman, very like your sister. Your appetite for justice and socializing come from her, I’m quite certain of it.”

 

The prince gaped at his teacher, then placed his hands on his knees, leaning forward with a grin. “Tell me more, Hamara, please!” Very few people spoke of the late queen, since his father had prohibited her from being mentioned around him in his grief. The ban was lifted now, but few wanted to risk Dorephan’s anger or melancholy from saying her name. “You must tell me everything!”

 

Hamara laughed, the sound surprisingly strong for such a bent old woman, and patted one of his hands. “I will strike a deal with you, your highness. For every five new signs you learn, I will tell you one story of your mother.”

 

“Deal!” Sidon grinned, now even more excited for his lessons than before.

 

* * *

 

Sidon tapped his foot, waiting anxiously for the arrival of his merman. He supposed it would be wrong to call Link  _ his _ , exactly; it wasn’t as though he wished to own him. The prince had just grown so fond of him over the past few weeks. He couldn’t wait to show Link all that he had learned in his absence. 

 

But days had passed since he started learning sign, and Link had yet to reappear, despite Sidon slipping away to the cove almost every night. It was approaching two weeks since his last meeting with the merman when Sidon heard the sound of splashing, the same sound Link made when he dove beneath the surface. He sat up straighter, running over the motions in his head. He knew his signing wasn’t very good, yet, but he was confident he could piece together what he wanted to say.

 

Link breached the water a few moments later, looking more tired than Sidon had ever seen him. Sidon quickly knelt by the water, hands moving slowly but steadily.  _ You late. Where you? _

 

_ Away,  _ Link answered absently, not seeming to register that Sidon hadn’t spoken aloud like he had during their last visit.  _ Too busy to return here for a while.  _

 

Sidon nodded.  _ I miss you. _

 

_ I missed you too.  _ Link froze, then blinked up at Sidon, bewildered.  _ You sign now.  _

 

It wasn’t phrased as a question. Suddenly doubting himself, Sidon simply nodded.

 

_ You didn’t sign before. _

 

Sidon shook his head.

 

_ You learned for me? _ Link’s eyes were unreadable, head tilted slightly as he watched Sidon.

 

_ Yes _ . Sidon nodded, bobbing his hand as he did in extra confirmation. Link’s face suddenly split into a wide grin, and he beckoned Sidon closer. The prince couldn’t refuse the request, even if he tried, and moved close enough to kneel next to the water. Before he could ask why, Link had hurled his body out of the bay, throwing his arms around Sidon’s neck. Sidon toppled backwards, caught off guard, but beamed back at his friend. Link’s tail flicked in the air, and all too soon he was sliding back into the water, no less exuberant. His fingers moved rapidly.

 

_ Please, slow down,  _ Sidon begged, and Link laughed at the look of alarm on his face. “I’m afraid I still don’t know very much,” he added. “But I assure you, Link! I shall keep working until I can sign as well as I can speak! It is the least I can do for you, my dearest friend.”

 

The merman’s cheeks turned a delightful shade of pink.  _ You’re okay,  _ he replied.  _ This is good.  _

 

Sidon shook his head. “I want to be able to understand you, no matter what it is you wish to say to me. You can understand me perfectly - it would only be polite for me to learn your language as well.”

 

Link considered this for a moment, then nodded, beckoning Sidon closer again. When the prince bent down, Link pulled off one of the many strings of shells that adorned his chest, draping it over Sidon’s neck. Sidon’s breath caught in his throat, and he brought one hand up to touch the delicate shells.

 

“Thank you, Link. I shall treasure them more than any jewel.”

 

Link rolled his eyes at this declaration, but the pleased flush hadn’t left his face. Without another word, he turned and dove back into the water, speeding away, leaving behind a largely confused but deeply touched prince in his wake.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I got really attached to Tepem and Hamara, whoops. I imagine Tepem as a stereotypical wizard-looking scholar, and Hamara as a small, chubby old woman with a permanent bend to her shoulders, but feel free to imagine them however you like.


End file.
